Erryn reviews ‘Blindside (Blind Faith Series Book 3)’ by N.R. Walker. The book was self-published on June 14, 2013 and is 368 pages. The audiobook was released July 22, 2019 by Love Lane Books. It is 6 hrs and 56 mins and is narrated by Michael Pauley. A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Why Erryn read: I’m loving this series.
Mark Gattison has avoided love and commitment his entire adult life. Not interested in more than a one night stand or a brief encounter in a bathroom stall, he is the epitome of a good time.
Will Parkinson is the guy who defends him, the guy who puts up with him, the guy Mark calls his best friend.
When Will becomes unsettled and a little distant, Mark takes it upon himself to find Will a boyfriend. Not familiar with the concept himself, Mark thinks Will needs someone to make him happy.
What Mark doesn’t know, is that he’s about to get blindsided. He’s about to get knocked off his feet by the one thing that’s been right in front of him the entire time.
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My review:
Isaac and Carter are settled in their lives. At the end of Book 2 of the series, Isaac proposed and Carter accepted with enthusiasm. Now they’re preparing for their wedding. Their best friend Mark is still hours away, toiling away in a job he doesn’t enjoy, doing hook-ups that don’t fulfil him, and generally missing the tight relationship he had with his best buddy Carter. That his friendship now extends to Isaac speaks to the strength of the bond between the men.
But Mark is missing something in his life. A year ago, Will came to work at the same company and the men sit in adjoining cubicles. They banter back and forth (much to their boss’ dismay), and often go out together. As friends, of course. In fact they go out so often that people mistake them for being a couple. But they aren’t. When Mark senses Will’s unhappiness, he decides his friend needs a boyfriend. So he sets about setting Will up. The first blind date doesn’t end well, but then Will meets a man on his own and the two become tight. So tight that Mark feels excluded. He’s not jealous – or so he tells himself. But his concern for Will manifests itself as interfering and things take a turn for the worse. Suddenly the two men aren’t as close as they’ve been.
Sometimes we don’t see what’s right in front of us. Will tries to sever the friendship and Mark is mystified as to why. It was obvious to me, but Mark is REALLY slow on the uptake. Eventually Carter and Isaac have to intervene as Mark is spiralling downward fast. Despite his contention he’s fine on his own, he needs his friends. He needs Will most of all, but is slow to recognize it. As I often say, this is a romance and I get my happy ending. There were a few times when I wanted to bop Mark over the head, but in my heart I knew things would work out. This story is told entirely from his point of view, so his slowness at catching on was irritating. But sometimes we don’t see what’s in front of us. I’ve said that, right? But it can be absolutely true.
The epilogue to the story wraps things up nicely. The men are happy in with their chosen career paths and have forged a strong bond between the two of them. Happily ever after, eh?
Stay tuned after this story because it is followed up by the short story, Twelfth of Never. The story is from Will’s point of view, which was a treat. It has been five years since the men first met and their relationship is as strong as ever. Now there is the issue of kids. Mark’s not convinced he’ll be a good father while Will yearns for fatherhood like almost nothing else. When a family comes into the shop, his heart breaks just a little bit. Fans of the Turning Point series will love the cameos.
Mark isn’t unaware of Will’s internal conflict, and his first step to resolving the rift comes in the form of a peace offering. (Check out the cover below if you want a hint).
I enjoy books where characters have opposing views that threaten their relationship. That’s real life. Things are not always wrapped up in a bow and happily ever after often involves bumps in the road. This story provided me with another perfect happy ending.
The entire series was narrated by the wonderful Michael Pauley and he did a great job. His performances are always solid and the voices of the various men are always clearly differentiated. He is the perfect choice for this series and I truly enjoyed it.
My Rating:
10/10 Pots of Gold (100% Recommended) – Compares to 5/5 Stars
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She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things…but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She’s been writing ever since…
Rainbow Gold Reviews 
I haven’t read these stories, but I will definitely be on the lookout for them. Thanks for your review!
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